The Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel were scheduled to meet to discuss national reforms to children's social care, annual reports on corporate parenting, the Independent Reviewing Officer service, and school admissions, as well as the Virtual School Headteacher's annual report.

Declarations of Interest

The panel was scheduled to note a list of councillors' memberships on outside bodies, joint committees and school governing bodies, as detailed in the Declarations of Interest document. Councillors were expected to declare any personal or financial interests in items on the agenda. The Outside Body Memberships list included the memberships of Councillor Majella Anning, Councillor Joshua Ayodele, Councillor John Fahy, Councillor Patricia Greenwell, Councillor Odette McGahey, Councillor Jit Ranabhat, Councillor Jahdia Spencer, and Councillor Jo van den Broek.

National Children's Social Care Reforms (Families First)

The panel was scheduled to consider an update on the council's preparation for national reforms to children's social care, known as Families First.

The National Childrens Social Care Reforms Families First report noted that the Families First Partnership programme aims to create a more integrated, family-focused system that delivers timely and effective support, reduces escalation, and improves outcomes for children and families. The reforms are linked to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, and local authorities have until April 2026 to implement the changes.

According to the Families First in Greenwich Programme Scrutiny Presentation, the Families First in Greenwich programme was established in April 2025, with five workstreams focusing on:

• Universal Early Support
• Family Help
• Adolescent Safeguarding
• Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams
• Family Group Decision Making

The presentation noted that a public engagement survey was developed to secure the input of residents, staff and wider community organisations, and ran for 4 weeks until 13 October 2025.

Corporate Parenting Annual Report 2024-25

The panel was scheduled to review the Corporate Parenting Annual Report 2024-25, which highlights the work of Royal Greenwich Children's Services and its partners in supporting children in care and care leavers. The report covers education, health, placement stability, emotional well-being and future planning.

The report noted that in June 2024, Children's Services was rated Outstanding by Ofsted. Key achievements during 2024–2025 included greater workforce stability, strong political and corporate support, establishment of a Kinship Team, enhanced quality of practice, and growth in the number of Greenwich foster carers.

The report also included the Adoption Service Annual Report 2024-2025 and the Fostering Service Annual Report 2024-2025.

The Adoption Service Annual Report 2024-2025 noted that Royal Greenwich is a member of Adopt London South¹ (ALS), a regional adoption agency hosted by the London Borough of Southwark. The report stated that Royal Greenwich retains key responsibilities in early permanence planning and care planning for looked after children.

The Fostering and Kinship Service Annual Report 2024-2025 noted that the Royal Greenwich Fostering Service operates within the regulatory framework provided by The Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 and the National Minimum Standards (2011) for Fostering Services. The report stated that the Fostering Service is dedicated to ensuring that every child and young person has the opportunity to grow up in a safe, stable, and nurturing environment.

Annual Report of the Independent Reviewing Officer Service 2024-25

The panel was scheduled to consider the Annual Report of the Independent Reviewing Officer Service 2024-25. Independent Reviewing Officers (IROs) are qualified social workers who monitor the cases of children in care to ensure that the local authority is acting as a good corporate parent².

The report noted that IROs focus on keeping children's needs at the centre of any decision making and on ensuring that children's views are sought, heard and considered.

School Admissions Annual Report 2025

The panel was scheduled to consider the School Admissions Annual Report 2025. Royal Greenwich has a legal duty to ensure that enough school places are available at all education levels to meet the needs of local residents. Parents can apply for a place in any mainstream school, and local authorities cannot prioritise their own residents.

The report noted that in the 2025 primary planned admissions round, 2,854 Greenwich residents applied on time for a Reception place. Approximately 99% received an offer for one of their preferred schools. In the secondary phase, 3,104 residents applied on time for a Year 7 place, and 1% were unplaced on National Offer Day due to demand exceeding the number of available places. All unplaced children were boys.

Virtual School Headteacher's Annual Report for the 2024-2025 Academic Year

The panel was scheduled to consider the Virtual School Headteachers Annual Report for the 2024-2025 Academic Year. The Virtual School provides support to children in care, children previously looked after, and children known to social care.

The report noted that the Virtual School has a statutory duty to produce a report which details the work of Royal Greenwich's Virtual School and the academic outcomes for children in our care. The report summarises the key activities and successes of children in our care and outlines key themes that have emerged during the 2023/24 academic year.

Commissioning of Future Reports

The panel was scheduled to note the work items that are scheduled to be presented at the meeting of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel taking place on 7 January 2026, as detailed in the Commissioning of Future Reports report. These include an update on SEND assessments in the borough and an update on Q1 Performance.